The Democrats
Green |Seats1 Title = Federal Assembly |Seats1 = |Seats2 Title = Federal Senate |Seats2 = |Seats3 Title = State assemblies |Seats3 = |politics = Politics of Gaduridos |political parties = Political parties in Gaduridos |elections = Elections in Gaduridos |party_logo = }} The Rights and Freedom ‒ The Democrats (Diritti e Libertà ‒ I Democratici, DL) is a political party in Gaduridos. The party president is Matteo Bertinotti, who founded the party in 3822. The DL traces its origins to the state elections in Pernessia in 3822; various center-left and centrist groups merged together to form a joint list for the elections. Following the success of this coalition, its components formally fused into a unified party, branded as Rights and Freedom ‒ The Democrats. Currently, the party is represented by 118 deputies in the lower house and 43 senators in the upper house. History Formation The Democrats originate in a center-left coalition called Convergence, which formed in 3822 to participate in state elections in Pernessia. Convergence went on to expand into the rest of the country, a trend that culminated in the group's participation in the 3822 general election. Convergence scored a surprise 25% of the vote, picking up 44 seats in the lower house. After striking a deal with leftist allies, Convergence entered a coalition government, of which Matteo Bertinotti was premier. By the end of the legislative term, the coalition had grown increasingly fragmented, with a small, social-democratic faction under his leadership being one of many splintering groups. Seven deputies and four senators joined Bertinotti's new group, which was subsequently given the name Rights and Freedom ‒ The Democrats. The new party attracted over 26% of the voters in the 3826 election, electing 118 deputies and 43 senators. This made The Democrats the second largest force in the country. Bertinotti's coalition secured 231 of the 430 seats, continuing as a majority government for a few months. Drift to the center After the 3826 election, The Democrats initiated a series of internal reforms that pushed the party toward the political center. Ultimately, their coalition with the hard left collapsed, resulting in a Conservative minority government taking shape instead, with the support of the DL. Throughout the remainder of the 3820s, they would position themselves closer to the Conservatives than the radical left. Ideology Popular support The Democrats originally formed in the state of Pernessia, but established branches in the other four states of Gaduridos shortly afterwards. As a result, the party's electoral results in Pernessia were initially higher than in the rest of the country, though this gap has gradually eroded. Traditionally, the DL perform better among women and young people, as well as liberal Hosians. The party has also historically polled better in the larger cities, including the country's capital. In the last general election, the party scored 5 points lower in the rural regions than it did in Gaduridos at large. Electoral results Federal elections | | valign="top" | | |} State elections Prominent members Party presidents *Matteo Bertinotti (3822 – present) Prime Ministers *Matteo Bertinotti (3822 – 3826) Category:Political parties in Gaduridos